Exxon's oozing oil pits haunt residents as XTO deal nears
Bo Vavrusa was heaping dirt into the path of a wildfire on a Texas ranch in October 2007 when his tractor rammed an Exxon Mobil Corp. natural gas pipe hidden in a thicket. Flames engulfed the tractor, burning his face, arms and hands as he fled.

Author: Get rid of yearly reviews
Want to lower morale, reduce productivity and undermine the relationship between the boss and his or her subordinates? Give an annual performance review, say authors of a recently published book deeming the practice bogus.

Earnings up, but investors skeptical
NEW YORK - Corporations from McDonald's to Yahoo and Wells Fargo are surpassing analysts' earnings estimates at the highest pace since 1992, but investors aren't impressed.

How to sell your home fast
CHICAGO - Hiring a decorating and marketing specialist to help sell a house might sound like a frivolous cost to home-owners desperate to salvage every dollar in a fallen market.

George W. Bush memoir release set for November
NEW YORK - The publisher of former President George W. Bush's book "Decision Points" on Sunday set a Nov. 9 release date, unveiled its cover design and announced new details about it.

Heloise: Put notes in separate binders
Dear Heloise: I've become involved in numerous boards and committees around town. In order to keep minutes and other information readily accessible and coordinated, I purchased a number of inexpensive three-ring binders, with clear-plastic covers on the exterior. Now I type the name of the committee on the computer, print it out and insert it in the outside spine of the binder. I simply pull the appropriate binder off the shelf and take it with me to a meeting. - Chuck in Kentucky

Lady Harvesters tie for title
The Pampa Lady Harvesters earned a share of the District 3-4A high school softball title Saturday afternoon by shutting out the Caprock Lady Longhorns, 10-0 in five innings, at Lady Longhorn Field.

Hill-led Spurs rally for 3-1 lead
SAN ANTONIO - George Hill sank yet another big shot from the corner, this time right in front of the Dallas Mavericks bench, and ran back upcourt flashing three fingers.

Thanks, Mom
Want to show your mom, grandmother, stepmother, foster mother or special aunt who took you in how much you appreciate her?

Killer mother back in mental hospital
DALLAS - A woman who killed her 10-month-old daughter by cutting off her arms with a kitchen knife but was found not guilty by reason of insanity has been returned to a state mental hospital after being released in 2008.

Burmese New Year's festival: A celebration, from afar
Residents of the Texas Panhandle embrace their traditions as ways to impart history and culture to younger generations. For 2,000 members of the Burmese community in the Panhandle, it's just as critical to pass on lessons about their homeland.

Med records: ditching paper
Texas Tech Health Sciences Center will receive $6.6 million in federal money to help West Texas physicians implement electronic medical records. But school administrators say they still are planning how to use the money.

Eye on Austin: Candidates lack challengers
For all practical purposes in Lubbock, Republican Charles Perry is already the state representative-elect in House District 83. He has no Democratic or Libertarian opponent in the November election.

State deals with backlog of food stamp requests
DALLAS - Officials say the Texas food stamp program is digging out of trouble after it was swamped by hurricanes, a failed privatization effort and a cuts to the work force that handles claims.

Brazil mom to appeal order to give boy to dad
SAO PAULO - A Brazilian woman ordered to relinquish her son to his Texas father in an international child abduction case is appealing the ruling, but her lawyer says she will not try to evade justice, local news media reported.

SS office will host open house
The Amarillo Social Security Office will host an open house at 10 a.m. Tuesday to celebrate the opening of its new office at 4750 Canyon Drive.

Texan now country's oldest at 113 years
JACKSONVILLE - Eunice G. Sanborn's life has touched three centuries. President Grover Cleveland was serving his second term when she was born. Only 31 years had passed since the end of the Civil War.

Light aircraft strikes lines
Two men were hospitalized after their small aircraft struck power lines in rural Potter County on Sunday evening.

Districts take new leaders
Several school districts across the Texas Panhandle have hired new executives or are expecting new leadership in the fall.

Dallas hasn't given up on '09 draft class
IRVING - The Dallas Cowboys finished their work Saturday with appealing possibilities at offensive tackle and free safety from their draft class - the 2009 draft class.

Cowboys face interesting 2010 schedule
ARLINGTON - If the Dallas Cowboys hope to achieve their goal of being the first host team to play in the Super Bowl, they will have to overcome a difficult 2010 schedule.

'Boys finally address needs
IRVING - Jerry Jones stuck to his pre-draft declaration that the Dallas Cowboys wouldn't be "hostage to any position," despite obvious holes on the offensive line and at safety.

John Krehbiel
CANADIAN - John Krehbiel, 65, died Thursday, April 22, 2010.

Letter: Thanks for trail support
About 150 men, women and children turned out on April 20 to walk with the mayor on Old Soncy Trail and show support for gaining official trail status for this wonderful three-mile paved trail running north of West Amarillo Boulevard to Wildcat Bluff Nature Center.

Letter: Cattlemen protect planet
On the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, Texas cattle producers celebrated the many ways that raising cattle helps to protect and improve the environment, all while providing an affordable and nutritious product for consumers worldwide.

Letter: Pulitzer value diminishing?
Evidently the Pulitzer Prize for journalism continues to decline in merit or value. The recent screed by Leonard Pitts Jr. has set a new low in credibility and honesty. His diatribe against the real history of the Confederacy is a true classic in hateful and ignorant bile.

A fishing prank
Eagle, Colo., is not our favorite home base, but it might be less about place and more about experience. Sure, the scenery is spectacular. The fishing is great. Eagle has all you need in a home base.

2 Buffs drafted in late rounds
The Texas Panhandle is primarily Dallas Cowboys country, but it is understandable if there might be a growing St. Louis Rams fan base.

WT ends year with sweep
West Texas A&M closed out its weather-wrecked baseball season on a high note Saturday, cranking out 40 runs and 39 hits during a Lone Star Conference doubleheader sweep of Eastern New Mexico at the Amarillo National Bank Dilla Villa.